Revueing the Troops

Fractured fables and tall tales will be the theme of Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s fourth annual CHOC Follies on March 31 and April 1 at the 1,200-seat theater on the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

“Watch for hysterical twists on Mother Goose and Aesop,” said Gloria Zigner, executive producer of the Follies.

More than 125 potential cast members auditioned for roles in “Fabulous Fables and Twisted Tales” last week at the Sutton Place Hotel in Newport Beach.

On Thursday, arts philanthropist Jeanette Segerstrom--joined by her daughter, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels--welcomed CHOC supporters to her elegant bay-side home in Newport Beach for a reception and a buffet supper catered by Alan Greeley.

More than 100 people sipped fine wines and sampled delicacies such as steak au poivre crostini and smoked salmon strudel at the twilight affair for Follies’ underwriters.

How did party chairwomen Eve Kornyei and Lana Chandler get so many people out on a weeknight, much less on the heels of the holiday season?

“We sent our invitations and made phone calls,” Chandler said. “Who can turn down CHOC?”

Who indeed. Segerstrom was thrilled to welcome the happy crowd into her treasure-filled home. “Naturally, I’m honored to help children,” said Segerstrom, a partner with C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, owners of South Coast Plaza. “I have four children of my own and eight grandchildren.”

Daniels--who bears a striking resemblance to actress Jodie Foster--starred in last year’s production.

“It’s a lot of work but so rewarding,” she said. “Many of the people in the cast have had children at CHOC or know someone who has. It’s a very emotional experience.”

The Follies not only raise funds for CHOC--$500,000 so far--but they also give members of the Orange County community a chance to showcase their talent.

“There are a tremendous number of people who live in this area who were stars of their senior plays or wanted to be in show biz,” Zigner said. “This gives them the opportunity to star in something for a great cause and gives CHOC a way to reach out to new friends.”

Daniels has always wanted to be in films, she confided. In 1994, she got her wish: She was an extra in “Maverick,” starring Foster and Mel Gibson.

“I have a friend who is an assistant director in Hollywood, and he gave that to me for a birthday present,” she said. “I’d do another one in a minute.”

On the set, Daniels was mistaken for Foster. That gave her an idea: become Foster’s screen double.

“I sent in some pictures, but it turns out Jodie Foster has a double who looks exactly like her,” Daniels said.

Meanwhile, the Follies--co-chaired by Leslie Cancellieri and Michael Cipolla--will be keeping Daniels busy.

“The rehearsal schedule is demanding,” she said. “But we’re all determined to stage a great show.”

For tickets: (714) 532-8690.

Eight Is Enough

For master violin-maker Carleen Hutchins, it was a dream come true: a concert featuring eight acoustically balanced violins--all of them hewn by her hands.

“This is one of the most exciting moments of my life,” Hutchins, 88, told the 300 music lovers gathered at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Tuesday night to hear the inaugural performance by the Hutchins Consort.

Hutchins came from New Jersey to attend the performance featuring virtuoso musicians playing such classical selections as Bach’s Violin Concerto in E and Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

Afterward, the crowd--which had given the musicians a standing ovation--gathered in the lobby for champagne and cake.

Encinitas’ Joe McNalley, the consort’s large bass player and artistic administrator, dreams of taking the violin octet around the world.

“Because all eight violins are acoustically matched--each is a half octave apart--we have a unique sound,” said McNalley, 35, the son of Michael and Sharon McNalley of Corona del Mar. “Historically, we are the first American octet to perform in a professional venue.”

It took Hutchins three years to hand-carve the octet’s big bass violin. “I worked on it eight to 10 hours a day,” she said.

McNalley and his fellow octet musicians--Michael Wais on small bass violin, Greg Adamson on baritone, Omar Firestone on tenor, Kevin Connolly on mezzo, John Acosta on alto, Igor Tchetchko on soprano and Reginald Clews on treble--are primarily classicists, but they’re not above performing modern works. “We’re practicing some Jimi Hendrix--’Purple Haze,’ ‘Foxey Lady’ and ‘Third Stone From the Sun,’--and Dick Dale & the Deltones’ ‘Miserlou,” McNalley said.

Besides professional appearances, the group is interested in participating in educational outreach programs, said consort booster Sharon McNalley, herself a musician. “The combination of music and [the science of acoustics] provides some wonderfully interesting educational opportunities.”

For information: (760) 632-0554.

World Premiere

Hundreds of theatergoers packed the lobby at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa on Friday to celebrate the world premiere of Howard Korder’s “The Hollow Lands,” a tale about an Irish immigrant’s search for an identity during America’s expansionist days.

“As we enter a new millennium and think about who we are as people--and as a nation--we have a play that speaks to that,” SCR artistic director David Emmes said.

The epic play, directed by David Chambers and partly underwritten by SCR trustee Ned Olivier of Dana Point, is on SCR’s Mainstage through Feb. 13. For tickets: (714) 708-5555.

Ann Conway can be reached at (714) 966-5952 or by e-mail at ann.conway@latimes.com